By Kimberly M. Hutmacher
My mission with Picture Book Play is to gently guide you, as a parent
of a young child, to some of the best picture books available with
every issue. Each month you'll find a mix of old and new brought
together by a uniting theme. You'll find this column unique, in that
it's more than just a review. You'll find supplemental activities
and/or discussion starters to compliment each featured book. This
month's featured book is a picture book poetry collection centered
around the four seasons, with my focus turning specifically to the
summer subjects. Happy Reading!
Featured Book
Written by Heidi B. Roemer
Henry Holt and Company 2004
115 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
48 pages
Watermelon
A sliver, a slice,
Deliciously nice;
A nibble, a drip, a lick.
And when I'm done, I pucker my lips;
I'm ready! I aim and I.
Spit!
You can almost taste it, can't you? Imagine those delightful words
spread across the page in the shape of a watermelon. Come To My Party
And Other Shape Poems is a volume of thirty-eight seasonal concrete
poems. There are very few collections of children's poetry that focus
specifically on the concrete form. Ms. Roemer's words dance across
the pages and in the imaginations of her young audience. The poems
are enhanced beautifully by the playful illustrations of Hideko Takahashi.
Playtime
1. There are nine poems in this collection that deal
specifically with summer themes. Pick one poem a day. Read it to your
child and then do whatever activity the poem talks about. Share a
slice of watermelon. Go to the beach. Blow the fluff off of a
dandelion. While having fun engaging in each activity, occasionally
recite the corresponding poem.
2. Choose a summer subject with your child. Brainstorm words
or phrases with them until the two of you have created a poem
pertaining to this particular subject. Mold the poem into concrete
form. Ask your child to help you manipulate the letters of each word
until the two of you have created a poem in the shape of the subject
you chose- just like Heidi B. Roemer did in Come To My Party And
Other Shape Poems.
More summer poetry fun.
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